William edmund simpson



[No Model.)

W. B. SIMPSON. GAS OPERATED ORDNANCE.

Patented Nov. 30,1897.

W-- W! m m T m2; m W fiv ,W Z, W a 1 a m w H invented certain new and useful UNTTED STATES WILLIAM EDMUND. SIMPSON, OF MANSFIELD, ENGLAND.

GAS-OPERATED ORDNANCE'.

srnorrrcarzon forming part of Letters Patent No. 594,710, dated November so, 1897.

Application filed March 16, 1897.

T 0 all 20710177, it puny concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM EDMUND SIMP- SON, engineer, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Albert \Vorks, Mansfield, in the county of Nottingham, England, have Improvements in Machine-Guns, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in m a-chine-guns of the Gatling or revolvingbarrel typethat is to say, guns in which a series of barrels and their locks or breechblocks are arranged torotate around a central axis, the said locks, during their rota-- tion, traveling along a stationary cam-path, whereby they are actuated to effect theloading, firing, and extracting operations.

- Now the object of my invention is to enable a port-ion of the gas-pressure generated within the barrels by the explosion of the cartridges to be utilized for revolving the barrels, so that after the first shot has been fired the gun will continue workingrautomat-ically as long as it is supplied with'ammunition.

In order that my-invention may be readily understood, I will proceed to describe the same fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a transverse section of a portion of a gun, showing one arrangement for car 'rying the said invention into efiect, and Fig;

2 is a longitudinal part section corresponding to Fig. 1.

A is a disk or wheel mounted upon the central axis or spindle B of the gun, preferably at a-short distance from the muzzle, the said disk or wheel A having holes A, through which the barrels (3 pass and in which they fit tightly. Around its periphery the disk or wheel A is provided with notches or recesses A one surface of each of which may, as shown, be shorter and more inclined to the circumference of the disk than the other.

In each barrel 0, at the portion which fits into the disk or wheel A, is formed a transverse opening C, extending from the bottom of a groove of the rifting to the outside of the barrel, and in the disk or wheel A is provided, opposite each barrel, an aperture or passage A coinciding with and forming a continuation ofthis opening (1 in the barrel and ter- Serial No. 627,891. (No model.)

the projectile has passed the opening 0 a portion of the gases escapes through the said opening andthe passage A and impinges against the cavities or buckets D and expanding therein causes the disk A to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrow, Fig. 1, the disk carrying with it the barrels O and thus operating the gun automatically.

For the purpose of retarding or controlling the speed of rotation of the barrels a brakeshoe E is employed, and the disk A is provided with a lateral projection A having-a turned rim A to which said rim the said brake is adapted to be applied. This brakeshoe is pivoted at E and is operated by a toggle-link E connectedwith an arm E on a spindle E", which spindle extends to the rear of the gun, where it is provided with a brake-lever or handle \Vhat I claim isl. The combination in a machine-gun, of revolving barrels, a recessed disk or wheel through which said barrels extend, ports or passages leading from the interior of said barrels to the recesses in the wheel or disk, and means for causing the portions of the discharge-gases escaping throughsaid openings or passages to work the gun, substantially as described.

:3. The combination, in a machine-gun, of revolving barrels, a recessed disk or wheel through which said barrels extend, ports or passages leading from the interior of said barrels to the recesses in the wheel or disk,

'a stationary ring surrounding said disk or wheel, and cavities or buckets in the interior of the ring for the gases flowing through the ports or passages to impinge against, and so cause the barrels to revolve substantially as described.

31 The combination, in a machine-gun, of

' revolving barrels, a recessed disk or wheel projection on said disk or wheel having-a through which said barrels extend, means 0peratively connect-edwith said recessed disk for utilizing a portion of the dischargergases to revolve the barrels, and a brake'to retard through which sald' barrels extend, a lateral turned fill], a brake-shoe arranged to act on said rim, and means for causing rotation-of the barrels by the energyof the exhaustgases, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set myhand this 15th day of February, 1897.

WILLIAM EDMUND SIMPSON Witnesses ALBERT WILLIAM PERKINS, FREDERICK WILLIAM SLACK. 

